SANTA CLARITA, Calif. — You don’t have to miss out on holiday goodies just because you eat a gluten-free diet.
At Plate Therapy, owner Danielle McPartlin discovered how to make guilt-free sweet treats that also aren’t flavor-free.
What You Need To Know
- November is Gluten Free Diet Awareness Month
- Santa Clarita restaurant, Plate Therapy eliminates gluten, dairy, soy and refined sugars from every meal
- Gluten is found in grains like wheat, barley and rye, and can greatly impact the gut
- The gut microbiome is implicated in maintaining overall health, particularly as it relates to inflammatory disease
"This is our holiday box, and inside it is going to have all of our treats that are made no-gluten, no-dairy and no-refined sugars," said McPartlin.
Plate Therapy makes and delivers clean meals — void of gluten, dairy and refined sugars, all from their kitchen in Santa Clarita.
The idea came to McPartlin while she was suffering from two autoimmune disorders, vitiligo and hashimoto’s. It wasn’t until she stopped eating all processed foods that she noticed major changes.
"It did calm down my vitiligo," she said. "It spreads with stress, it spreads with inflammation when you are eating the gluten and the dairy, and once I got that out of my system and got my gut healthy, it really made a big difference."
Gluten is found in grains like wheat, barley and rye. Dr. David Perlmutter has studied and written about gluten and says research shows that consuming gluten causes inflammation and leaky gut.
And it doesn’t just affect those with celiac’s disease. Nearly 60-70% of the population is estimated to have gluten sensitivity.
"By and large, the biggest issue related to human inflammation is permeability or leakiness of the gut. And one of the biggest players turns out to be gluten," said Perlmutter.
But just because something is gluten free doesn’t automatically mean it’s healthy, as many products contain refined sugar and preservatives — once again increasing inflammation and impacting disease.
That's why Plate Therapy is different, with chef-crafted meals that are responsibly sourced and use premium ingredients.
"We believe it all starts with what’s on your plate," said McPartlin. "And you can heal so much that’s going on in your body with what you eat."